Where we run.
- Milwaukee · Madison · Green Bay · Appleton (Wisconsin daily)
- Chicago · Rockford · Naperville · Kenosha (Illinois 3× weekly)
- Minneapolis · St. Paul · Eau Claire (twice weekly)
- Gary · South Bend · Fort Wayne (weekly)
- Grand Rapids · Detroit (partner-carrier weekly)
Equipment.
- 53' dry vans (our fleet).
- Flatbeds for oversize / IBC stack loads (partner).
- Hot-shot pickup for under-pallet emergencies.
Backhaul discount.
If your facility is along one of our regular routes and your outbound timing aligns with our return-leg empty trucks, we can offer a backhaul rate. Usually 20–40% under standard. Ask in the lead form and we'll check the route grid.
What freight gets you in writing.
- Confirmed pickup window (2-hour band, not a vague day).
- BOL with photo confirmation of the load.
- Tracking — text or email updates at pickup, in-transit, and delivery.
- Real human dispatch you can email.
Our own fleet vs partner carriers.
About 55% of our outbound runs on our own fleet — three 53-foot dry vans plus a hot-shot pickup. The rest goes on partner carriers we've worked with for years.
When we use our own fleet
- Wisconsin and northern Illinois same-day routes.
- Closed-loop programs with fixed schedule.
- Loads that require white-glove handling.
- Customers who prefer a known driver who knows their dock.
When we use partners
- Distance routes beyond ~250 miles.
- Loads requiring flatbed or specialty trailer.
- Times when our fleet is fully committed (rare).
- Backhaul opportunities where a partner's empty return-leg saves both of us money.
Detailed route grid.
| Origin / destination | Distance | Cadence | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Creek ↔ Milwaukee | 14 mi | Daily | Same day |
| Oak Creek ↔ Madison | 80 mi | Daily | Same day |
| Oak Creek ↔ Chicago | 92 mi | 3x weekly | Next day |
| Oak Creek ↔ Rockford | 114 mi | Weekly | 2–3 days |
| Oak Creek ↔ Green Bay | 122 mi | Weekly | 2–3 days |
| Oak Creek ↔ Minneapolis | 337 mi | Twice weekly | 2–4 days |
| Oak Creek ↔ Indianapolis | 325 mi | Weekly | 3–5 days |
| Oak Creek ↔ Detroit | 375 mi | Partner-carrier weekly | 4–6 days |
| Oak Creek ↔ St. Louis | 389 mi | Partner-carrier biweekly | 4–6 days |
What backhaul really means.
A backhaul is the return leg of a route — the trip the truck would otherwise make empty. When a backhaul aligns with a customer's pickup or delivery need, the freight cost can be 20–40% under standard.
We track our backhaul opportunities in a route grid that gets updated each Monday. If you're flexible on timing — say, a one-week window rather than a specific day — there's often a backhaul that makes your load significantly cheaper. Ask in the lead form and we'll check.
Freight billing structure.
We bill freight as a line item, never bundled into box price. The components:
- Linehaul. Distance × per-mile rate. Updated quarterly to reflect fuel and partner-carrier rate changes.
- Fuel surcharge. Tied to the weekly DOE national diesel average. Shows up as a separate line.
- Stop fees. $50 per additional stop beyond the first if a single load is split across multiple delivery addresses.
- Detention. Free for the first 2 hours at pickup or delivery. After that, $75/hour. We're generous on this; rarely charged.
- Liftgate / inside delivery. Quoted as needed, typically $75–125.
Specialized transport options.
Most loads ship in standard 53-foot dry vans. For unusual situations:
- Flatbed. For oversized loads, oddly-shaped IBC stacks, or oversize machinery-paired packaging. Partner-carrier dispatch.
- Hot-shot. Single-pallet emergency dispatch using a pickup truck and small trailer. Available for under-pallet loads when timing is critical.
- Container drayage. For customers with ocean-container connections at Chicago or Milwaukee ports. We'll drop containers at your dock.
- Refrigerated. Not in-house but available via partner carrier when food-grade or temperature-sensitive shipments require it.
Driver standards.
All our drivers — whether on our fleet or partner — meet a few baseline standards.
- Current CDL Class A with at least 2 years OTR experience.
- Clean MVR within the last 36 months.
- DOT physical current.
- Drug testing per FMCSA standards.
- Briefed on the specific load before departure.
- Provided customer's dock photos and access instructions when we have them.
Frequently asked.
Can I track my shipment?
Yes. We'll email a tracking link or text update at pickup, en route, and at delivery. For repeat customers we'll set up a single recurring tracking format.
What's the smallest load you'll ship via freight?
For LTL (less-than-truckload), a single pallet works but the per-unit freight gets expensive. We'll quote anyway and tell you honestly whether the math makes sense.
Do you offer expedited delivery?
Within Wisconsin and northern Illinois, yes — usually same-day or next-day at standard rates. Beyond that, expedited is partner-carrier and quoted as a surcharge.
What if a delivery is refused?
Common refusal reasons: dock unavailable, BOL mismatch, load damaged in transit. We hold the load at our yard while sorting it out — usually resolved within 48 hours. Storage fees waived for the first three days.